"Grabe, Sab, hindi ko inaasahan 'to, ha?"
I glanced at Clark. He was following me inside the office to verify my personal record.
Fortunately, hindi sila mahigpit sa requirements dahil wala akong dalang kahit na anong ID. I presented them the scanned copy of my IDs na nasa online drive at tinanggap naman nila. I even presented a special power of attorney and affidavit of loss.
After all, kompleto naman ako ng biometrics kaya makikita naman nila sa system 'yon.
Huminto kami sa dulong window saka nagtanong sa attendant.
"Sabrina Dardenne, miss," I said.
"75 pesos. Barya lang po, ma'am." Clark gave the attendant a fifty-peso and twenty-peso bill and a five-peso coin.
She gave me a copy of a paper na same sa NBI clearance, with my face and personal records. It wasn't the best document to present for any transaction kasi ang laki ng papel for an ID, but I should adjust. Wala akong choice.
"Okay ka na?" Clark asked while I checked my voter's certificate's details.
"Can I borrow your Mastercard?"
"Bakit?"
"O-order ako ng authentic copy ng birth certificate ko. Online ako magbabayad."
"Wow."
Dumeretso kami palabas ng office habang tutok pa rin ako sa document na hawak ko.
"Buti may idea ka sa mga kukuning document," sabi niya, inaalalayan ang daan ko para hindi ako matapilok. "Hindi mo first time, 'no?"
"Noong kumuha ako ng mga ID, pinasama ako ni Mum sa maglalakad ng papers ko para nga raw hindi ako tatanga-tanga kapag ako na lang mag-isa. I should know."
Clark chuckled and clapped slowly. "Tita Tess and her mommy mode. Applauded. Pero sure ka sa 30k lang? Hindi ba kukulangin sa 'yo 'yon?"
"Mum said if I want to borrow money, I had to make sure na kaya kong bayaran agad regardless if it was enough for me or not. Thirty thousand is a realistic figure na madali kong mababayaran a few weeks from now."
"Mum again! Halatang dinikdik kayo ni Tita Tess noong bata pa kayo ni Rico, ha."
Paglabas namin, dumeretso agad kami sa parking lot.
"You have meetings, right?" I asked him, pointing to his face.
"Well, sana." He bobbled his head from side to side.
"Kaso?"
"Sinasamahan kita."
I placed my hands on my waist and looked at him. "How urgent are those meetings?"
"Bakit?"
"So I can weigh your priorities."
"Hahaha! Himala, uso pala sa 'yo 'yan."
Pinalo ko tuloy siya sa braso. "Ano nga? Urgent?"
"Well . . ." He massaged his forehead and grinned at the lot. "Makikipagtsismisan lang talaga ako kina Mrs. Dominguez tungkol sa business park na itatayo nila sa South . . ."
"And?"
He narrowed his eyes and raised his pointy finger for a moment. "May tatawagan lang ako."
Saglit siyang pumunta sa bandang dulo ng parking lot, malapit sa barricade para sa mga halaman.
I was staring at Clark at hindi rin naman siya mukhang makikipag-meeting formally. He just wore a loose black shirt tucked in white casual slacks and white slip-on shoes. He paired his look with a plain black leather necklace and a black leather wristwatch. Hindi siya nag-wax sa buhok, so his medium-length hair was showing his soft facial features kasi bagsak na bagsak. Ang bango niyang tingnan, though he really smelled good. Ang ganda ng pili niya ng cologne for his look. Not the usual "seduce me, bitch" kind of cologne, but more of a "hug me, sweetiepie" kind of smell.
I barely see Clark wore clothes with glaring brands. Most of the time, sobrang sisimple ng damit niya na kung hindi mo sisilipin ang tag, hindi mo malalamang branded pala. After all, rich people didn't want to wear clothes with glaring brands kasi aware na silang mayaman sila. Some brands are meant to show-off for "not-so-rich" people to "look rich".
Sa kanilang magbabarkada, si Clark lang ang naririnig kong mas gusto ng mga mommy kaysa gusto ng mga ka-age niyang babae. Sila ni Patrick ang madalas kainisan pagdating sa pakikipag-date, and general turn-off na for Clark ang pagiging "clown" niya, to the point na wala na siyang sineseryosong babae kaya siya iniiwan. And Jaesie could attest to that kasi parang na-bad trip lang sa kanya si Jaesie noong nasa dating stage pa lang silang dalawa.
But Clark is one of the most serious guys I've ever known. Or maybe there's something in him na ako lang ang nakakakita and the rest were just looking at him at the tip of the iceberg.
A few minutes later, bumalik na rin siya at pilit na pilit ang ngiti. He clapped once and brushed his palms against each other. "Saan na tayo?"
I focused my eyes on him. "Parang may ginawa kang hindi maganda."
"Nag-cancel ako ng tsismis, natural hindi maganda 'yon."
"Ganoon ba 'yon kaimportante?"
"Medyo," sagot niya, pinaling-paling pa ang ulo sa magkabilang gilid. "Tsismis is important but your case is importanter kaya tara na! Sayang ang time!"
♥♥♥
Really, I felt like Clark and I were in Amazing Race doing impossible tasks. Habang nasa kotse kami, iniisa-isa ko na ang pupuntahan namin today habang kumakain kami ng takeout meals from a fast food joint. Another fatty food and reason to burn calories more.
"Buti marunong kang gumamit ng spreadsheet sa mobile device," bati ni Clark habang iniisa-isa ko ang mga gastos ko mula pa kaninang umaga.
"Mum said I must be resourceful. Buti nga, may mobile app for spreadsheets kaysa mag-manual journal entry ako." I was chewing my fries habang nakikihiram ng tablet ni Clark na nakapatong sa dashboard. I downloaded the app para magamit, and he let me do it naman kaya malamang na okay lang sa kanya.
"Hindi halatang may alam ka sa accounting, ha."
"Required sa amin ni Kuya na magkaroon ng alam sa accounting kahit basic lang, or else, we're doomed."
"Ni-require ni Tita Tess?"
"Sino pa ba?"
Clark giggled and shook his head. Gaya ko, nguya lang siya nang nguya ng pinaka-lunch namin.
"Kaya ka siguro natitiis ni Tita. Alam niyang tatagal ka," sabi niya.
"Mum is a monster. She didn't raise us para maging spoiled brat."
"Tapos spoiled ka haha!"
"I'm just spoiling myself right now because I earned it! I'm just taking my childhood back! Si Kuya nga, inalisan nila ng laruan noong bata pa when we were both supposed to play because we're kids!"
"Kaya kayo inalisan kasi literal na nagpapatayan kayong dalawa para lang sa laruan. May Barbie ka naman pero trip mo talaga yung robot ni Rico. Kung ako rin si Tita, hindi ko kayo bibigyan ng laruan, e. Ang bata-bata n'yo pa, may killer's instinct na kayo."
"Then why did you make Kuya's toy museum, huh?"
"Ginawa ko ang toy museum ni Rico kasi gift ko sa kanya 'yon after so many years na banned siyang magkaroon ng laruan dahil sa 'kin."
I stopped typing my expenses and stared at Clark's face. He was focused on the busy EDSA and didn't bother to look at me.
"I remember you hiding Mr. D sa bag kapag dumadalaw ka sa bahay before I went sa States." I watched him closely to see his reaction. "You love Kuya that much para i-keep si Mr. D kahit banned sa bahay?"
Saka lang siya sumulyap sa akin bago ibinalik ang tingin sa daan.
"Sobrang pressured ng kuya mo dahil sa 'kin, alam mo 'yon? Hindi ka pa ipinapanganak, kasama na niya si Mr. D. 'Yon lang ang kaya kong ibigay sa kanya habang pinagtutulungan siya ng parents mo."
"Until now, kasama pa rin naman niya si Mr. D," I joked, and I giggled afterward. "Sobrang sentimental ni Kuya sa toys niya. Buti hindi na-turn off si Jaesie sa kanya."
"Sinusumpa nga ni Jaesie yung—"
"Snorlax bed!" sabay pa kaming nagsalita. "Hahaha!"
"Over, grabe!" I exclaimed. "Every weekend, lagi niyang kino-complain 'yon! Can't blame her, though. You bought that for Kuya, di ba?"
"Yeah. Pangontra sa pagiging early bird niya."
"Ang bad mo. Sabotage ka ng gising ni Kuya."
"Para lang masarap ang tulog niya—"
"O para lang ma-late siya kapag may pustahan kayo hahaha!" Tinusok-tusok ko ang pisngi niya.
"I invoke my rights against self-incrimination," he defended. "And besides, si Jaesie ang casual victim ng Snorlax bed, kaya baka nalaman na ni Rico ang hidden agenda ni Snorlax bilang trap ko sa toy museum niya."
"Kuya's a smart ass. You can't fool him that long."
Hindi na namin napansin ang oras. One in the afternoon, nasa Cainta, Rizal na kami. We went sa isang ukay-ukay store. It was along the highway at may sariling parking lot. Pagbaba namin ni Clark, nag-drop agad siya ng remarks.
"Ukayan? Talaga ba, Sab?" tanong niya, obvious na nagdududa pa.
"Quality-wise, budget-wise, we're in the right place." I offered my hand. "May panyo ka?"
Clark grabbed his hanky from his pants pocket and handed it to me. I used it to cover my nose and mouth.
"Ay, wow. Tapos ako, bahala na, 'no?" reklamo niya.
"Exactly," I replied, grinning.
We went inside the ukayan.
When we were on a midterm project during my institute days, may project kami na sobrang tight ng budget, but we had to create a set of apparel na okay ang quality.
Ang mahal ng isang yard ng fabric, and if I would do dresses from scratch, 30k is not enough for ten pairs. So I had no other choice but to recreate a dress to sell.
I even created a dress using a garbage bag during a fashion gala, so what's off?
Pagpasok namin sa loob, although may cooler naman, but the smell of the unwashed clothes wasn't sinus-friendly. Sa sobrang tapang ng amoy, kahit nakapanyo ako, naaamoy ko pa rin.
Clark was covering his nose in a pa-pogi gesture, masking his disgust at the odor. His right elbow was resting on his arms na nakafold sa tapat ng chest niya. His right fist was covering his nose and he was looking somewhere as if naghahanap na siya ng exit path.
Alam kong hindi kasing-arte ni Patrick si Clark, but the annoying smell was making us cringe.
I started to check all the clothes na nasa nice racks. As much as possible, I wanted to do this in double time. I only touched the cloth and its quality since the design was on me later on.
I found some branded ones na visible ang reason kaya rejected sa manufacturer. Uneven hems, some with ripped parts, and there were typo errors on the brand name, but the quality of the original is the same, with wrong stitches, and misplaced tags.
After an hour of searching for clothes with nice fabrics, I asked Clark to pay for them.
"1,495 po," the saleslady said.
Clark paid for the clothes immediately, and the moment we went out, bigla siyang bumuga ng hangin—as in yung malakas.
"Wow! Amoy something!" Punas siya nang punas sa ilong habang nakasimangot. "Never kong na-imagine na papasok ka sa ukayan, Sabrina Dardenne. As in never!"
Well, no one could even, honestly.
"Tara, daan muna tayong mall. Bibili ako ng basic sewing kit. Tomorrow, dadaan ako ng Tutuban for a complete set."
"E, bakit hindi pa ngayon?"
"Because you have a car and we look expensive?" I explained. "I won't go to Tutuban para lang ma-holdup along the road."
He widened his eyes and pointed to my face. "Na-holdap ka na sa Tutuban, 'no?"
"Not me, but my classmate before, yeah. Saka si Kuya ang nag-explain sa 'kin niyan 'cause he's buying things sa Divi. Prevention is better than cure."
Some of the areas in Manila aren't that wonderful and safe in reality. You can't just walk freely in a place, thinking that everyone thinks like you or ka-level mo ng social status. There are bad people, and there are criminals lurking around kahit gaano pa kaliwanag. Wala namang pinipiling biktima ang krimen, and we must take care of ourselves to avoid such events.
Clark really hated the smell of the clothes from ukay-ukay to the point na pinaliguan na niya ng body spray ang plastic bag sa trunk at pati na ang sarili niya just to keep his cutie smell. Kahit din pala ako, in-spray-an din niya. Magkaamoy na tuloy kaming dalawa.
Dumeretso agad kami sa sikat na mall along Ortigas at ang unang-unang hinanap ni Clark—at siya pa talaga—laundry shop. Kasi ayaw niyang iuwi ang binili ko sa bahay niya na amoy masakit sa ilong ang dala ko. I agreed, though. Ayokong maglaba ng maraming damit.
May part ang mall sa ground floor malapit sa exit na puwedeng magpalaba.
He was carrying the plastic bags and I was sorting the clothes sa isang laundry basket. Ang daming nagpapalaba rin doon. And since may attendant naman para mag-assist, puwedeng iwan ang damit at babalikan na lang any time until closing ng mall. Favorable sa amin ni Clark kasi may bibilhin pa kami.
All in all, nasa twelve ang damit na nabili ko. Five dresses, three pants, three blouses para pair sa pants, and one pair of smart suit na medyo costly kaya isa lang muna for now.
Ipinaiwan namin iyon sa laundry shop and we headed to the fifth floor of the mall's fashion hall para bumili ng DIY sewing kit. I know, mahal dito, but in the meantime, kailangan kong mag-resort sa ganito.
The whole store is so expensive-looking. There are glitters and hand-crafted decors. May dalawang shelf sa gitna ng buong shop, naka-display sa walls and iba't ibang strings and threads. I ordered some sa online beforehand, pero matagal pa ang shipment kaya kailangan ko ng alternative materials.
"Ginto pala presyo rito," bulong ni Clark mula sa likod ko. "Sure ka sa 30k? Gusto mong gawing 50?"
"I'm fine with 30," I answered, and I took a basic sewing kit and brought it to the cashier. Though, it cost 376 pesos, and it wasn't a complete set na talagang tatagal for several use, pero wala akong choice for now. I had to adjust.
Paglabas namin ni Clark sa shop, sa elevator sana kami dederetso kaso ang haba ng pila.
"Escalator," sabi niya at tumango ako.
Pumaling kami sa kabilang direksiyon, and I could feel na para kaming may challenge kasi kahit hindi naman kailangang maglakad nang mabilis, naglalakad kami nang mabilis.
"After this, saan na tayo?" nagmamadaling tanong niya kaya nadadamay ako, nagmamadali na rin ako!
"Di ba, may logistics company sina Kyline?"
"Yeah, and?"
"Closed ang boutique ko. Wala akong budget to pay for lease sa business spaces."
"Ano'ng gagawin?"
"I'll go online selling. Carlise do online bidding para sa collections niya. I bought one last time, and I could work on that. I'll make a deal na lang kay Kyline for the shipping process."
"Akala ko ba, hindi ka pinahahawak ng management?"
"Yeah, nope. But Mum required me to learn everything," I explained. "Like what she said, hindi siya mabubuhay nang matagal to guide us, so we should know how to live with ourselves."
I heard him chuckled again and avoided looking at me. Nagtaka naman ako kung ano ang nakakatawa sa sinabi ko.
"Pang-ilang 'Mum said' mo na 'yan?" natatawang tanong niya.
"Wala naman akong ibang source of practical knowledge apart from Mum, duh! As if namang pampered kami ni Kuya under her wings."
"Hindi naman sa kinakampihan ko si Tita Tess, pero may sense ang way of parenting niya sa mga ganitong pagkakataon. You know? Survival in urban jungle at its finest. At least, sure siya na iwan ka man ng syota mo, iiyak ka na lang for a heartbreak, hindi dahil wala kang pera. 'Yon lang, wala ka pa ring pera. Umiyak ka na lang."
"Hindi nga ako nakaiyak nang sobra kay Ivo!" reklamo ko. "Yung heartbreak ko, na-postpone because of Patrick's wedding!"
"Hindi rin naman kasi deserved iyakan lol."
"Pero invalidated ang feelings ko? Grabe, ha!"
Dumeretso kami sa escalator ni Clark. Nauna na siya at pumuwesto ako sa likuran niya sa second step para mag-abot ang height namin. Nakaakbay ang left arm ko sa left shoulder niya habang tinitingnan ang paligid.
Ang daming red lanterns and dragons. Hindi ganoon karami ang tao sa fifth floor. Pero sa food court sa third floor na masisilip mula sa itaas, super dami.
"Kailan ba ang Chinese New Year?" tanong ko.
"Next Friday," Clark answered. "Busy na nga sina Patrick at Calvin, e. Maghahanda yata sa kanila—yung catering talaga, so alam mo na. Family gathering na naman."
Sobrang rare kong um-attend ng family gathering kasi most of the time, out of the country ako for fashion shows. Unfortunately, wala akong kahit ano ngayon, so wala akong reason to ghost them, ouch.
My eyes landed on the right side of the escalator na going up. Nanlaki ang mga mata ko nang mapamilyaran ang couple na nasa kabila.
Si Will and si Mat, magka-holding hands. Nagtatawanan pa silang dalawa habang may tinitingnang flyer kaya hindi yata kami napapansin.
"Clark, look!" I called him habang nakatingin siya sa kabilang side ng escalator, sa may food court mismo.
Paglingon niya sa tinuturo ko, naidampa niya ang palad sa handle bar ng escalator.
"Psst! William!" tawag ni Clark sa kabilang side.
Eksaktong-eksakto nang tumapat kami sa isa't isa, hinuli ni Clark ang braso ni Will na pinandidilatan din siya ng mata.
Mabilis silang nagbitiw ng kamay ni Mathilda at hindi ko alam kung paano pupuwesto kasi pababa kami at paakyat sila!
"Hoy, bumaba ka rito!" singhal ni Clark kay Will habang dinuduro niya ang barkada niya gamit ang malayang kamay.
"Hindi kita kilala!" sagot ni Will habang inaalis ang hawak ni Clark sa braso niya.
"Gago! Bababa ka o ibabato kita rito sa fifth floor?!" sigaw ni Clark at pinagtitinginan na kami ng ibang kasabay namin.
Nakailang balik si Will sa iisang step niya at ganoon din si Clark kasi ayaw nilang pakawalan ang isa't isa.
"Problema mo ba?!" sigaw rin ni Will.
"Puta ka, ba't kasama mo 'yan?!" sigaw ni Clark habang minamata si Mat na takip-takip na ang mukha kasi nakakahiya na sila!
"Tumigil na nga kayong dalawa!" sigaw ko.
"Mat, bumaba ka!" sigaw ni Clark. "Sinasabi ko na sa inyong dalawa, ha. Kapag hindi kayo bumaba, ha-hunting-in ko kayong dalawa!"
Oh my gosh! Stress!
♥♥♥